The Perils of Being Lucy
by LadyNightfyre
Summary: She has followed him faithfully since the day the met, but when Natsu's reckless desire for battle almost kills Lucy, she will discover that there was always someone faithfully following her.


He loved her. It was an easy enough thing to admit to himself. She was amazing, perfect. Her cheerful smile, her stubborn strength, her endlessly loving heart- they all beckoned him closer. He couldn't remember when everything began changing, when his instincts began to focus on protecting her at all costs, but it had been a gradual thing.

Sighing, Gray watched as she trailed after the flame brained idiot again. Natsu never gave Lucy much of a choice whether to follow him or not. At the current moment, his hand was clamped on her slender wrist, almost dragging her along behind him as she squaked in dismay. A low chuckle escaped his mouth at the sounds she made, hiding the bigger part of him that wanted to snatch her away and keep her safe at his side.

He was grateful this mission was over now. They had spent the last three weeks tromping through the underbrush of the Great Forest, attempting to discover the artifact they had been sent to find, only for Natsu to end up destroying the town they had finally discovered housed the thing. Gray clapped his palm to his forehead as he walked, remembering the look on Lucy's face as Markarov had told them over the communications lacrima that all of their reward would go towards rebuilding what had been destroyed by their reckless team mate.

"Are you ok, Gray?" He looked up when he realized that Lucy had managed to fend off the dragon slayer by siccing Erza on him, and then dropped back to walk at Gray's side. He offered her a smile, happy that she was beside him, but concerned about her.

"I'm fine, Luce. What about you? I know you were depending on this reward to pay your rent." She beamed a smile at him in answer, but the worry was clear in her eyes.

"I'll figure something out. It was the right thing to do. I feel terrible for those people, and I wish we could have stayed to help rebuild. But Natsu..." The two shared a look and a sigh, and Gray took the opportunity to touch her, placing his hand on her back for a moment.

"Those people would not have wanted his help. I don't blame them. If flame brain could just resist trying to fight EVERYONE, we might come out better in our missions." Lucy gave a rueful laugh and nodded her agreement.

"You're right," she said, leaning against him for the briefest moment. "I didn't say thank you, before, for pulling me out of the way of that fireball. I don't know how you always manage to look out for me and still fight as well as you do. Natsu certainly can't manage it." Her eyes were clear of worry when she smiled at his this time, but Gray's were stormy as he smiled back.

"I am always trying to keep y... my friends safe. That's all." He hoped fervently that she would not notice his near slip, but she showed no indication she had heard it. It was one of his greatest fears, that Natsu, in his inability to focus on anything other than fighting, would catch Lucy up in one of his battles. That was a particular fear he knew he shared with Loke. The two had discussed it on several occasions in the time since Loke had contracted with Lucy.

"I know! That is why you, my friend, are amazing." Lucy's smile was sunshine and broke him out of his reverie. The other two in the group were done bickering now and had dropped back to join them.

"Only another mile until town!" Erza said happily, no doubt thinking of a piece of cake. Lucy, on the other hand was looking forward to a long bath and a night of rest in her own bed before going to take another job to pay her rent.

"A bath would be wonderful," the blonde said, releasing a little moan that sent a shock to Gray's core.

"Then you're going to cook for us, right Luce?" Natsu asked, echoed by Happy asking that the thing cooked be fish.

"I... can... But I don't have much in the way of groceries," Lucy replied. Gray was quick to jump in.

"If you WANT to cook for us, I'll go buy the groceries with flame brain here. That will give you a chance to at least enjoy your bath. Besides," he whispered in an aside, "You cook so often that I am going to start pitching in for your groceries. It's only fair." A thrill ran down his spine at the joy radiating on her face at his offering. Suddenly, his arms were full of happy Lucy, thanking him for the help, before she let him go again. It was hard to hide the goofy grin on his face and he was sure Erza saw it before he managed to regain is ice cool composure.

"I'd be happy to cook for everyone, so long as I get time to take my bath, and you guys buy the groceries." They were in Magnolia proper now, meandering down the riverside shoppes area.

"Very well," Erza interjected. "I shall bathe at your house after you are done. Gray and Natsu will go and buy groceries and I will take my luggage back home." The matter decided, the five went their own ways.

Several hours later, everyone had eaten and bathed, They had laughed over a card game until first Happy, then Natsu had fallen asleep on Lucy's couch. Shortly after that, Erza had helped Lucy pull out the futon she kept specifically for nights like this and dropped off to sleep as well, leaving Gray and Lucy awake still. From her place at the table, Lucy smiled over her friends, sleeping peaceful and happy, then gave a sigh and stood to begin washing the dishes. Gray followed her, bringing the last cups and silverware from the table and taking his place to rinse the dishes after she washed them. She gave him a soft, tired smile in thanks. "I think this is the first time Natsu has managed to NOT fall asleep in my bed after one of these things," she laughed quietly.

"Did you WANT him to fall asleep in your bed?" Gray asked her, accepting a cup to rinse. The jealousy was sharp, but dissipated quickly as she rushed to reassure him.

"Oh! No! Absolutely not. You had to share a tent with him this trip. You know how ungodly much heat he puts off. And the way he sprawls everywhere... ugh." She handed him another plate. "No, I am much happier that he is there. Though with him being there, I guess that leaves you to share with me." Suddenly her hands flew up, throwing bubbles that floated in the air. "Not... not like that! Sorry!" Her face was cherry red, and Gray couldn't help but laugh when a clump of bubbles landed on her nose. Without thinking, he stepped closer and swiped the bubbles from her nose. Going back to the sink and refusing to let the mild panic he felt at his actions make things awkward, he went back to rinsing, and Lucy stepped around him to begin drying and putting away.

"I know you didn't mean it like that, idiot," he said in a low voice. "If you would rather me go home I will."

"No, I want you to stay," Lucy said, keeping her back to him as she stacked the bowls. "Thank you, for offering to help with the groceries. It means more to me than I could tell you."

"I had to. You weren't ever going to ask for help with paying for them, where you?" When Lucy turned back to him with a smile, she shook her head.

"A parent doesn't ask her child to pay for his food, now does she?" she asked, glancing over at Natsu so Gray understood. "He's here all the time, always eating me out of house and home, but he never thinks to offer help, or even to not destroy things when he gets excited. He's just like a toddler." They shared a quiet laugh as she moved to lean against the opening between the kitchen and the living area. A sigh escaped her lips and her eyes went distant for a moment.

"Lucy?" Gray asked, drying his hands and moving to stand beside her, wondering what she was thinking about.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to afford to stay here, Gray." Her voice was so soft he could barely hear her. "This apartment, I mean. Natsu eats so much, and destroys so many things, I'm constantly playing catch up. And then things like this last mission happen and... I can't afford it. But I don't know what to do." Her eyes traveled the apartment, taking in the sight of her friends sprawled everywhere. Her eyes glistened with tears she was obviously fighting back, and Gray moved without thinking, pulling her into an embrace with his hand holding her head gently to his chest. She stayed there for a few precious minutes, almost melting into him, before pulling away. "Come on," she said, catching his hand. "You're as tired as I am. We'll sleep." Gray followed as she navigated around the tangle of arms and legs that her floor had become. He wanted to talk to her, to help her figure out what to do, to ask her how he could help, but he let her close the subject down for the night.

It was slightly awkward for Gray, getting into bed with Lucy that night. She climbed in first, scooting all the way over to the wall, then held the covers open for him, a shy smile on her face. He wondered briefly if his face was as red as hers as he joined her, maintaining a distance between them. She turned on her side to face him, that same smile on her face, and he faced her. "Good night, Gray," was all she said before closing her eyes. Gray watched her until her breathing slowed and evened out. Sleeping Lucy was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, he thought. He almost reached out to touch her, brush her golden hair out of her face, but lost courage just before his hand touched her cheek. Sighing, he dropped off to sleep, her sleepy smile firmly fixed in his mind.

It took a few moments upon waking for Gray to open his eyes and figure out where he was. The bed was smaller than his, and smelled of strawberries and cocoa, but the thing that threw him out of wack the most was the sensation of warmth in his arms. Slowly, praying that this was not just another one of his Lucy dreams, he looked down. He had rolled over onto his back at some point during the night, but Lucy had rolled with him. Her blonde head rested on his bare chest, pressed against his heart, and one of her legs was thrown over his hips. Somehow, his arm had come up to cradle her against him. Gray's heart skipped a beat at the sight. As he admired her, she began to stir, looking up at him with sleepy brown eyes. "Mmm... Good morning," she whispered.

Thank you for reading! I'm currently looking for a beta, one who is willing to prod me to keep me writing. If you are interested, please contact me! Thank you!

Nightfyre


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